Awning structure



March 6, 1956 F RAY 2,736,932

AWNING STRUCTURE Filed March 5, 1952 F/Ierz/4./?ay INVENTOR.

Arrow/5) United States ate-nt- AWNING STRUCTURE Felbert A. Ray, Stephenville, Tex.

Application March 5, 1952, Serial No. 274,860

3 Claims. (Cl. 20-575) This invention relates to an awning structure capable of being installed in unitary sections, and it has particular reference to a metal structure of the type described in Patent No. 2,577,482, dated December 4, 1951, and the principal object of the invention resides in the provision of a unit having spaced inclined supported members, for horizontal over-lapping strips, which are formed to be interlocked at the adjacent ends of joined sections to close the joints therebetween and provide drain channels for rain water and melting snow and ice.

An important object of the invention is that of providing a simple and economical awning structure which can be readily and easily installed in sections to extend any desired distance along a wall, or over a walk-way, to afford protection from the elements, minimizing the cost of installation where relatively long or large awnings are required by prefabricating the same in predimensioned sections or units and securely connecting the same while eliminating the possibility of leakage Where the units are joined and without impairing the appearance and rigidity of the awning.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a ventilated awning structure which embodies features of design enabling its manufacture in predetermined dimensional sections to be erected in a single unitary structure without having the appearance of a sectional assembly.

Broadly, the invention contemplates the provision of an awning .unit whose supporting members are so formed in transverse section as to rigidly join the structure with other similar units.

While the foregoing objects are paramount, other and lesser objects will become manifest as the description proceeds, taken in connection with the appended draw ings wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the inner end of a section of the awning, showing portions cut away to illustrate the construction, and showing the extensible bracing member.

Figure 2 fragmentarily illustrates the under side of a pair of joined sections of the structure as viewed from the attaching edge thereof, showing the interlocked inclined supporting members.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the extensible bracing member, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary top view of a pair of joined sections illustrating the angular trim along the inclined joined and outer edges of the units.

The invention comprises, therefore, an awning unit which has a pair of inclined supporting or frame members 1i) and 11 on which are arranged a series of metal strips 12, each formed with longitudinal flanges 13 and 14 along their opposing edges so that the flange 13 extends upwardly and rearwardly While the opposite flange 14 is directed downwardly and forwardly, the flange 14 over-reaching the rear flanges 13 but spaced therefrom to provide for ventilation beneath the structure.

The strips 12 are secured to thesupporting frame members 10 and 11 by any. suitable means and transversely thereof, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, and extend beyond the members 10 and 11 so as to space these elements when two or more units are joinedin the ,mannershown in Figure 2. The .ends of the strips 12 are embraced by trim members 15 and .16 which are angular in transverse section and provide a relatively close association between the sections, as illustrated in Figure 4.

The supporting frame members 10 and 11 are similar in their primary structure but the member 10 has an extended channel portion 16 formed therewith defined by an upturned flange 17 spaced from and integral with the outer depending flange 18 of the member 10 which has an inner depending flange 19 spaced from the outer flange 18 so that the supporting member 10 is substantially S-shapedin transverse section, as illustrated in Figure 2, to define two opposing channels 16 and 20.

The opposite frame member 11 has only two depending flanges 21 and 22 which are spaced to define an inverted channel 23. Thus, when two or more units are joined together, as shown in Figure 2, the outer flange 22 of the member 11 overlaps the upturned flange 17 of the member 10 to interlock the units and provide a drain channel 16 directly beneath the juncture between the adjacent trim strips 15 to direct water away from the wall 24 to which the awning is attached.

Each of the frame members 10 and 11 have upturned tabs 25 on their inner ends for attachment by screws 26 to the wall 24 and the inner ends 27 of the trim strips 15 are turned over the tabs 25 and secured by the screws 26. It will be observed, by reference to Figure 2, that the inner flanges 19 and 21, respectively, of the members It) and 11 are turned back upon themselves to provide rigidity. 1

The supporting frame members 10 and 11 are braced by extensible arms which consist of slidably associated channel members 28 and. 29 secured to longitudinally adjusted positions by screws 30. The inner ends of the arms are attached by bolts 31 to angular brackets 32 which are attached to the wall 25 by screws 33. The outer ends 34 are secured by bolts 35 to brackets 36 which are attached to the outer ends of the supporting members 10 and 11, as illustrated in Figure 1. The ends of the awning may be closed, if desired, by vertical strips 37, shown in Figure 1.

Manifestly, the structure herein shown and described is capable of certain changes and modifications, by persons skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and intent of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an awning supporting structure for installation in joined units, in combination, a pair of inclined frame members having a series of over-lapping horizontal strips supported transversely thereon, each of said frame members being formed with depending flanges, and one of said frame members having an upturned flange formed therewith and spaced from one of its depending flanges defining a substantial S-shape in transverse section, one of the depending flanges on the opposite frame member being adapted to overlap said upturned flange to join a plurality of units.

2. In a support for sectional awning structure, each section comprising, in combination, spaced inclined end frame members, one of said frame members being substantially inverted U-shaped in transverse section and having depending flanges along each side, the opposite frame member being substantially S-shaped in transverse section having an upturned flange spaced from and parallel to said opposite frame member to be over-lapped by the 3 4 outermost of the depending flanges of the said U-shaped opposite member of an adjacent section to define a drain section to join a plurality of sections. channel between the joined sections.

3. In a support for a sectional awning structure, each References Cited in the file of this patent section comprlsing, 1n combination, spaced lncllned supporting members having a series of horizontal over-lap- 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS ping strips transversely thereof, each of said supporting 1,956,850 Bishop May 1, 1934 members having depending flanges defining an inverted 2,234,760 Guarcello Mar. 11, 1941 channel, one of said members having an upturned flange 2,474,011 Overly June 21, 1949 spaced from and formed with its outer depending flange 2,486,660 Kurtz Nov. 1, 1949 and over-lapped by the outer depending flange of the 10 2,602,199 Kendall July 8, 1952 

